Stok Kangri Expedition

Detail Itinerary

• Day 01:Report at LehWe leave Delhi as early as 5 am to join our morning flight to Rinpoche airport Leh, which rarely delayed. After an hour long spectacular flight over the Himalayas, we land in the past; Tashi Namgyal’s 15th century capital, Leh. As we drive to our hotel the cold air will certainly catch your throat, and you will definitely feel the altitude. After a late breakfast, we will roam around Leh , a little piece of central Asian history, with its palace dominating the old bazaar and a backdrop of snowy peaks.
• Day 02:Leh ( 3500m )- Acclimatization & PreparationLeh is located at high altitude at 11480 ft and bitterly known as land of cold desert with hot summers and extreme winters. So it is very important to get acclimatized to avoid altitude sickness. Spend the entire day visiting the Indus Valley tour includes Shey Palace, Thiksey, Hemis, Shanti Stupa and Leh’s ancient forts and gompas of the Tibetan Buddhist world . Overnight at the hotel.
  
  Shey Gompa, is about 15 kms from Leh. It used to be the summer palace of the kings of Ladakh. There are lots of Stupas and Gompas built around the palace. Shey palace was built by Deldan Namgyal in the beginning of 17′Th century AD. Main attraction in Shey is the 12m Shakyamuni Buddha statue inside the Dresthang Gompa.
  
  Thiksey Gompa, close to Shey is about 17 kms from Leh. The monastery is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Ladakh and belongs to the Gelukspa order.
  
  Hemis, about 45 kms south of Leh it is one of the most famous and largest monastery in Ladakh. It belongs to the Drukpa order and was founded in the early 17′Th century. The setting is perfect with the monastery cradled in a lovely valley, surrounded by streams and fronted by long Mani walls. Overnight stay at hotel.
• Day 03:Leh to Stok – MankarmoMorning drive to Stok village is about 15 kms from Leh. Start walking from the trekking point along the stream. It is long and cumbersome walk through the valley. There are many shepherd camps in the dif-ferent entrances of the sub valleys. The Mankarmo Camp is at the point from where the valley turns southward. It is possible to trek up to the first base camp in a day, but to get acclimatized it is recommended to make it in two days. The Camp at Mankarmo is on the river bed. There are no toilet facilities.
• Day 04:Mankarmo – Base CampKeep walking in the same direction for around 30 minutes and then head towards southward. It involves crossing the stream at several points during the forward march. You reach at the camp after vertical ascent, the campsite lack toilet facility. Take care of your food and cloths from animal around. Today you walk up to the advance base camp for acclimatization. The trail leads you towards west and then southward from the top of the hill. You will be passing through a few glaciers before you reach the advance base camp from where you start crossing the glacier.
• Day 05:Base Camp – Summit – Base CampDepending on weather and snow conditions, we leave as early as 2 am for the final assault, as it will be comfortable to walk on hard snow when the sky is crystal clear. We just take a cup of tea and bring our lunch bag, before walking into the night with our head light on. After crossing ABC we will start crossing the glacier towards south-east and then climb the peak to the western side. There are two ways to go up, one from the right side of the glacier, which is more technical and on the left side trail is easier having steps of rocks to scale the peak.
  
  To take challenge at that altitude It is a strenuous walk, and in the last part we will most likely use not only ice axes, but also crampons and, maybe, even rope, depending on snow conditions. However, by the time we come close to the top, you will forget about the hardship as you are surrounded by one of the most beautiful sights in the Himalayas, lighted up by the slowly rising morning sun. In good weather conditions we can see the Saser group in the Great Karakoram Range, where K2 lies. Leaving the peak, we will follow the same route back to the base.
• Day 06:Base Camp to Stok to LehBy the time you wake up for a late breakfast , you realize that you have scaled a peak higher than any mountain in Europe or North America. On return leg we will walk down to Stok village to drive further to Leh. Evening is free for local shopping.
• Day 07:Leh – DelhiAfter an early breakfast we check out from the hotel and transfer towards domestic airport to catch the flight for Delhi. On arrival at Delhi take a half day guided sightseeing. In the evening transfer to International airport to catch onwards flight.